Excavating shovel



are 20, 1934-. J HAYWARD EXCAVATING SHOVEL Filed Dec. 14, 1932 Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE EXOAVATIN G SHOVEL poration of New York Application December 14, 1932, Serial No. 647,279

Claims.

This invention relates generally to excavating shovels, and the improvements are directed to drag-line buckets especially adapted for moving dirt or the like.

Primarily, the object of the present invention is to eliminate the usual stationary hood which normally bridges and connects the upper frontal portions of the sides of a bucket, and to substitute therefor a lifting-bar, which extends across the front of said bucket, and being elevated therefrom in a manner to facilitate the passage of material into said bucket during a digging or excavating operation.

Another object is to provide means for connecting the ends of said lifting bar with the sides of the bucket, said means being in the nature of a flexible connection whereby said bar may yield with the material as it enters said bucket.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of means, susceptible or" adjustment, whereby the frontal portion of said bucket can be raised or lowered to accommodate certain conditions.

As it will presently appear it is also contemplated toprovide means whereby the control cable may be connected to the centre of said lifting bar, said cable passing over a sheave positioned adjacent the upper end of the hoisting or suspending bridle.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a drag line bucket embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with a portion of the hoisting or suspending bridle broken away.

Referring now more in detail to the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, let 5 indicate the body portion of the bucket or shovel, said body portion being closed at the bottom and rear but open at the front and top, the forward end of said bucket being provided with digging toes or teeth 6, by means of which the dirt is loosened and guided into said bucket.

As shown in Fig. 2, each of the sides of the bucket is provided with a draft lug 7, which extends rearwardly, as indicated at Ya, Fig. 1,

to strengthen or stifien said sides, said lugs 7 being also extended forwardly of the mouth of said bucket and presenting heads 8 having a plurality of apertures 9 to which clevises 10 may be selectively engaged. Between said bucket and 64) the usual haul cable 11 is a draft bridle 12, the latter embodying two converging members having their rear ends connected to said clevises 10, while their forward ends are pivotally secured to shackle 13 carrying said haul cable 11.

The hoisting or suspending bridle 14 has its upper end shackled to block 15, as indicated at 16, whilst its other end is pivotally connected to the sides of the shovel, rearwardly of its centre of gravity, as shown at 17, the usual spreader- 7 bar 18 being interposed intermediate these aforesaid points of connection. The usual fall rope 19 is suitably secured to the upper portion of said block 15, the latter being bifurcated to pivotally receive a sheave 20.

As shown in Fig. 2, the lifting-bar 21 is elevated above the mouth of the bucket and extends transversely thereof, said bar 21 preferably comprising a pair of spaced channel-like members 22 and 23, having thimbles 24 and 25 afiixed to their extremities and supporting a casting 26 secured to the central portion of said members.

Said lifting-bar 21 is attached to the bucket by means of a flexible element 27, said element having its intermediate portion clamped to casting 26, whence it extends laterally in opposite directions through thimbles 24 and 25, the depending portions 27a thereof having their extremities adjustably connected to rope-clamps 28 and 29, pivotally mounted in the aperturedears 30 extending upwardly from each of said draft-lugs 7. Upon inspection of Fig. 1 it will be noted that said ears 30 are provided with a plurality of apertures 30a, to which said ropeclamps 28 and 29 may be selectively pivotally 195 connected to further adjust the relative positions of the frontal portion of the bucket. It will be understood that the adjustable connection existing between the rope-clamps and the ends of the flexible element 27 permits a variation in the distance between said bucket and said lifting-bar. Further, said depending portions 27a may be adjusted as to length in order to place an equalized strain on the ends of said lifting-bar. .105

It will be noted in Fig. 2 that brackets 31 are secured to the upper central portion of said lifting-bar 21, said brackets pivotally supporting a clamp 32 having one end of the control-cable 33 adjustably connected thereto, said cable being passed over sheave 20 and having its other end adjustably secured to shackle 34 hingedly borne by the haul-line shackle 13.

In that said clamp 32 and the shackle 34; permit the adjustment of the control-cable 33 as to length, the proper digging and carryingangle may be imparted to the bucket.

It will, of course, be understood that during the digging and loading operation the fall-rope 19 is allowed to remain slack. The diggingangle of the bucket is due to the co-operating action of the draft-bridle 12, the adjustable-control cable 33 and the lifting-bar 21, which latter, through the action of the flexible element 27, brings the power applied forwardly of the centre of gravity and causes a slight turning thereon. By properly observing this principle, any digging and carrying angle may be obtained.

By eliminating the hood commonly used on drag-line buckets, and substituting the lifting- -bar, as herein described, a wide open-mouthed bucket may be used, presenting no obstruction to large stones; and, in View of the flexible connection-between said bucket and said bar, the latter -will move with the material, if it contacts there- -with,-as it enters the bucket.

During the operation of trans orting the load to the dump the haul-cable 11 is held taut, with the result that the forward end of the shovel is held up to prevent spilling the contents, and when the haul-cable is slackened the forward end of the shovel is caused to drop by gravity, thereby discharging the load.

'Various slight changes may be made in the general form and arrangement of the parts described without departing from the invention, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider myself at liberty to 'make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended "claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the con =bination with a bucket having side walls, a supending bridle connected thereto rearwardly of its centre of gravity, a lifting-bar overlying the front portion of said bucket, flexible means cone: -necting said lifting-bar to either side of said bucket, and means connected to said lifting-bar and said suspending bridle for elevating and depressing the front relatively to the rear of the bucket.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a bucket having side walls, a suspending bridle connected thereto rearwardly of its centre of gravity, a lifting-bar overlying the front portion of said bucket, fiexiblemeans connecting said lifting-bar to either side of said bucket, and means medially connected to said lifting-bar and said suspending bridle for elevating and depressing the front relatively to the rear-of said bucket.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination witha bucket, a suspending bridle therefor, a block connected to said suspending bridle and provided with a sheave, a draft bridle directly connected to said bucket, a control cable connected to said draft bridle and running freely through the sheave of said block, a lifting bar adjustably coupledto one end of said control cable and flexible means-for connecting said lifting bar to said bucket.

4.. In a device of the character described, the

combination with a bucket-a suspending bridlei therefor, a block connected to said suspending bridle and provided with a sheave, a draftbridle directly connected to said bucket, a control'cable secured tosaid draft 'bridleand running freely through the sheave of saidblockga lifting bar pivotally coupled to one end of said control cable and flexible elements depending from-the extremities of said bar and being pivotally connected to the opposite upperforward portions of said bucket.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a bucket, a haul rope, a-suspending bridleconnectedto said bucket,-a block connected tosaid suspending bridle and adapted for direct connection with a fall rope, a sheave 

